Christs Valedictions, Part 6
The ſixth Word.
JOHN 19.30.
It is finiſhed.
THIS implies no more in ſound conſtruction, then that the wonderful work of the Paſſion is now conſummated and completed; for the Father enjoyned the Son, two weighty offices or works, one of preaching the Goſpel, the other of ſuffering for man; of the firſt the Lord formerly ſaid, That he had finiſhed the work which he gave him, Joh. 17.5, 6.and manifeſted his name unto men. The other injunction is intimated in theſe words, O my Father, if this Cup may not paſs away from me, Mat. 26 42.except I drink it, thy will be done. Now he had fully exhauſted that bitter cup of his Paſſion, nothing remained but his diſſolution, and ſo with an inclining head he gave up the Ghoſt.
But being neither our Saviour, nor S. John explained what was Finiſhed, occaſion is given us to make ſuch myſticall applications of the Word, as may be fruitfull to our ſouls;Aug. …om. in …cum. One of the Fathers affirmes, That in this place is meant, an impletion of the Prophecies foretold of Chriſt,Eſay 7. Mick. 2. and that all thoſe predictions were true; as his conception of a Virgin, his Nativity in Bethlehem, Numb. 23.the apparatition of a new Starr,Pſal. 71. the Adoration of Kings, the Preaching of the Goſpell,Iſay 61. His Miracles, his riding upon an aſs,Eſay 35. Pſal. 21.68 Eſa. 53. Jer. 11. Zach. 12. And his whole Paſſion is deſcribed by parts, by David in his Pſalmes, Eſay, Jeremy, Zachary, and others; and this the Lord himſelf being to paſs to his ſufferings, ſpake, Behold, Luck. 18.we go up to Jeruſalem, and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man, ſhall be accompliſhed, which is alſo here averred, that their Teſtimonies might he verrified, and received as the dictates of the Holy Ghoſt.
2. Another of the Fathers underſtands here,Chryſoſt. that the power which was permitted to Men and Angels againſt Chriſt, was now conſummated at his Death; and to this effect he ſpeaks to the Chief Prieſts and Captains of the Temple, and the elders that were with him, this is your hour, Lu. 22.53.and the power of darkneſs; now his laborious peregrination, now the condition of his mortal life according to which he hungred and thirſted, and was weary, and obnoxious to injuries, wounds, and to death it ſelfe, is fully ended and determined.
3. Another makes this Conſtruction, Now the chiefeſt Sacrifice was Conſummated, that, in which all the Sacrifices of the old Law, as it were, types and ſhadowes did reſt, and into which they run, as Rivolets into the main Ocean: or as the ſtars, when the Sun appeares with his glorious rayes, ſee no ſtars at all, ſo thoſe typical oblations all vaniſhed, at the preſence of this Son of Glory, when he was to be immolated. Concerning theſe prefigurations one ſpeaks thus. Lord, thou haſt attracted all things to thy ſelfe;Leo Serm. 8. de poſſion dom. for the vaile of the Temple being rent, the holy things of the moſt holy departed from the unworthy Prieſts, that the figure might be turned into the truth, Prophecy into manifeſtation, and the law into the Goſpel, (and a little after) the variety of carnal ſacrifices now ceaſing the oblation of thy body, and blood have made one perfect and entire ſacrifice: For in this Sacrifice the Prieſt is God-man, according to his Hypoſtatical union. Thou art a Prieſt for ever after the order of Melchizedeck; Pſal. 109.4The Altar was the Croſs, which, by how much the more baſe it was before, by ſo much the more illuſtrious and noble it was made after Chriſts death, the Sacrifice was the Lamb of God, innocent, and immaculate, of whom the Prophet ſaid, That he was brought as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, Iſa. 53.7.and as a ſheep before the ſhearer is dumb, ſo he openeth not his mouth. The fire of the Holocauſt was his immenſe charity,Cant. 1.8 which did ſo flame in his breſt, that the floods of perſecutions could not extinguiſh it; the fruit of the Sacrifice was the redemption of Mankind, the expiation of the ſins of all the ſons of Adam; for,Iſa. 1.29. behold he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins of the world: But here is the difference between the ſacrifices under the Law, and this of the Goſpel, there it was the Office of the Prieſt to kill, and to prepare the Sacrifice, but here Chriſt was both Prieſt and Sacrifice, not that he layd violent hands on himſelf, but becauſe he willingly yielded to the ſlaughter, for Gods glory and the propitiation of our ſins, their reconciliation was obtained by the blood of beaſts,Col. 1.20. here peace is made through the ſacred blood of Chriſt Jeſus, not his, as he claimes all the beaſts of the forreſt, all the cattell upon a thouſand hills,Pſa. 50.10. and all the foules of the Mountains to be his; not his, as he is Lord and proprietary of all by Creation, ſo all blood in his; no, nor his, as the blood of all the Martyrs was his, (which is a neer relation and Conſanguinity) but his ſo, as it was the blood of his Croſs, the precious blood of his body, the ſeat of his ſoul, the matter of his Spirits, and the knot of his dear life.
4. We may further underſtand in this place, that at the death of Chriſt a great battell was finiſhed between him and the Prince of this world; of which he intimates in thoſe words: Now is the judgement of this world, Jo. 12.31.now ſhall the Prince of it be caſt out: but this battell was judiciall, not military, the encounters were in litigations, not armes, for the devill did ſtrive with the Son of God, about the poſſeſſion of the world, that is, of humane kind, the Devill had for a long time uſurped a dominion over man, becauſe he conquered the firſt man, and enſlaved him, and his whole poſterity, and therefore he is ſtiled the Principalities and Powers of the world,Eph. 6.12. and the Prince of darkneſs; Neither was he only ſo called,Pſal. 96.5. but alſo termed the Gods of the heathen, for he was publickly adored with ſacrifices among them, as their only God: but on the other part, Chriſt, as the true and lawfull heire of the univerſe, claimed to himſelfe the Principalities of the world, ſo that at length the battell was decided on the Croſs, and ſentence was given in favour of our Saviour, where he obtained the Trophees of an abſolute Conqueſt, for there he gave a plenary ſatisfaction to the Divine Juſtice for the tranſgreſſions of all mankind, for there is returned a greater obedience from the Son to the Father, then was the inobedience of the ſervant to the Lord; the Son of God was more humbled even to death for the honour of the father, then man was lifted to pride, to the diſhonour of God; ſo God was reconciled to man through the merits of his Son, when he reſcued him from the clawes of the Devil,Col. 1. and tranſlated him into the Kingdom of his beloved ſon.
5. And laſtly, theſe words may rightly be applyed to the building of Chriſt's Church, which was not perfected and finiſhed until his paſſion, though inchoated in his Baptiſme. Thus Epiphanius in his third book againſt Hereſies, and that learned and holy Auguſtine, Lib. 3. haere. 78.in his laſt book of the City of God affirm and teach,Lib. 22. c…. that Eve being built and founded on the rib of Adam, he being a ſleep, was a type of the Church, which was raiſed from Chriſts ſide, when he began to ſleep through the heavineſs of death, and ſo the Scriptures do notifie, (not without a myſtery) Eve to have been built, not formed. And that the Church began to be edified from the Baptiſme of Chriſt, the ſaid Father proves out of the Pſalmiſt. His dominion ſhall be from ſea to ſea,Pſal. 71.8. and from the river to the ends of the world; for the Kingdome of Chriſt which is the Church, began to be built from the water of his Baptiſme, in which he receiving the Baptiſme of John, conſecrated the waters, and inſtituted his own, which is the gate of the Church, and this he was made manifeſt through that voice of his Father heard from heaven; this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed hear him; from that time the Lord began to preach and to Congregate Diſciples, who were the firſt that came to the Church, and although there was made an aperſion of Chriſt's ſide after death, from whence iſſued forth water and blood, which ſignified thoſe two principal Sacraments of the Church, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, yet all ordinances had their full qualifications from his meritorious paſſion; ſo that the flowing of water and blood from his ſide, was rather a declaration of the myſteries, rather then an inſtitution moſt rightly, therefore it is ſaid, that the building of the Church was then conſummated; when he ſaid, It is finiſhed, for there remained nothing then but a diſſolution, which ſpeedily following, the price of a bleſſed redemption for man was compleated.
1. Learn hence, O man, that as thou art certain thoſe things by their events to have been true, which the holy Prophets predicted, ſo thou ought'ſt to be fully aſſured, that thoſe future things which are foretold by the ſame Prophets, ſhall come to paſs, though not as yet fulfilled, for they ſpake not from humane fancies, but from an inſpiring Spirit of God, which is ever infallible. Sicut uſque ad hodiernam diem, omnia evenerunt; Aug. in Pſal. 76.ſic et quae reſtant, eventura ſunt, &c. Even as to this day all things have rightly followed, ſo the things which remain will undoubtedly follow. Let us fear then the day of judgment; the Lord is coming, he that came once in poverty, will next come in Glory. And that there be no haeſitation in our ſaith, we have ſtronger arguments on our ſides then ever our Anceſtors had: they who preceded the times of Chriſt, without any performances, or external impletions were tyed to believe many things; we, who have had an experimental knowledg of diverſe things already accompliſhed, ſhould be induced to credit the reſt with the more facility: who lived in the dayes of Noah, did here that the general deluge was to come, and it was demonſtrated unto them, not only by his preaching, but alſo by his building of an Ark, notwithſtanding they would not believe becauſe they had never ſeen ſuch a deluge, and therefore a divine fury fell ſuddenly on them, now we who know, that to be impleted which the Prophet foretold, may eaſily believe that he, at whoſe beck are all the elements, may as well deſtroy the world by fire, the ſecond time, as he hath done firſt, by water: And we that find it verified, that Chriſt raiſed many from death, and his own body from the grave, may be fully confirmed that by virtue of his Reſurrection our ſoules and bodies alſo ſhall be tranſlated to a ſtate of glory and immortality in the world to come.
2. Obſerve that though the journey of our Saviours peregrination here was laborious, and ſharp above meaſure, yet it received an honourable compenſation, it ended in triumph and Glory; it laſted thirty three years, but what was the labour of thoſe years in compariſon of Eternal happineſs? he was humbled and made a ſcorn of men, and an abject of the people, for a ſhort time, but God hath highly exalted him,Phil. 2.9, 10. and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow, of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth: But his adverſaries exulted to the period of his Paſſion; Pilate rejoyced till the inſtant of his ſufferings, becauſe he had preſerved his friendſhip with Ceſar, and was then reconciled to King Herod, but now he and the perfidious Jewes juſtly ſuffer in hell-flames for their ſacrilegious impieties. Here then the humble, and patient men, may ſee how good, how propitious a thing it is; to take up the Croſs in this life, and to follow Chriſt, their afflictions are but light and tranſcient, and not worthy to be compared with the glory which ſhall be revealed to them; for when they dye, they paſs from a vaile of ſorrowes to a Paradiſe of joyes,Rev. 7.16. where all teares ſhall be wiped from their eyes: but with the ungodly it is not ſo, the end of their miſeries (if they have any) in this world, is but an entrance and beginning of greater in the other, where is endleſs weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth.
3. Another benefit may be reaped from the third acceptation of the words; for if we mean that the Sacrifices of the chiefeſt Prieſt is now finiſhed on the Croſs, it followes, that all his diſciples in imitation of their Maſter, according to their ſeveral talents ſhould offer likewiſe Sacrifices to their God; in this ſence all Chriſtians are Prieſts to offer Sacrifices,1 Pet. 2.9. not ſuch as were in the old Teſtament,i Pet. 2.9 but Spirituall Prieſts, to offer myſtical ſacrifices, which may be preſented from all men, as praiſes, and prayers, and other ſervices of piety; the ſame is moſt occurately taught us in the Epiſtle to the Romans,Heb. i3.i5, 16. in reſemblance of the ſacrifices of the ancient Law;Rom. 12.1 for there was in them.
1. The hallowed to God, which to convert to profane uſe, was held a nafarious Crime.
2. It was to be a thing living, as a ſheep, or goate, or the like.
3. It was to be holy, that is, clean; for there were among the Hebrews, animals clean and unclean,
4. And then the thing hallowed to God, was to be burn't, that it might ſend forth an odour of ſweetneſs: The like properties muſt be found in our ſpiritual Sacrifices,
1. Our bodies ought to be hallowed to God, that we may uſe them to his honour, not as our own, but his, to whom they are conſecrated by Baptiſme, and who hath purchaſed them by his blood.
2. They ought to be living ſacrifices, enlivened with the life of Grace, and of the holy Spirit: for whoſoever are dead by ſin, are not fit Victimes for God, but for the devils; our God, who is alwayes living, and the everlaſting fountain of life, abhors the ſtinking oblations of dead carkaſſes, who are profitable for nothing, unleſs for dogs and fowles of the Aire. We muſt then enbalm and preſerve the life of the ſoul, with our beſt and moſt religious actions, that we may give a reaſonable ſacrifice to our God▪
3. We muſt be holy and clean; for none ſhall aſcend into the hill of the Lord,Pſal. 24.3, 4 or ſtand in his holy place, but he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lift up his ſoul unto vanity, nor ſworn deceitfully.
4. And then we muſt be well pleaſing, and ſend up a ſweet ſavour to our God, to that purpoſe in the old Law, they uſed to kill and burn the ſacrifie; and this is rightly performed in the ſpiritual Sacrifice, when carnal concupiſcence is truly mortified, and burn't with the coales of charity; nothing can ſooner or more effectually deſtroy it, then a ſincere love to God, for he is Lord and King of all the affections of the heart, and rules them all, whether Fear, Hope, Deſire, Hatred, Anger, or any other perturbation of the ſoul; and love doth not yeild but to a greater, ſo that when divine love doth poſſeſs, and bear dominion over the inmoſt corners of the heart; then carnal concupiſcence gives place, and being mortified, it vaniſheth to nothing.
Thence flaming deſires, and moſt pure prayers aſcend to heaven, like aromatical perfumes of precious ſpices: this then is that perfect and acceptable ſacrifice which God requires; and the Apoſtle here exhorts with a moſt perſuaſive argument. I beſeech you by the mercies of God, that you preſent your bodies, &c. By his mercy, that is, as if he had ſaid, by him, that created you ſomething, when you were nothing: By him that made you his ſervants, and needed not your ſervice, and when your merits were unavaileable, bleſt you with his own; by him that made you to his own ſimilitude, and by this, capable of his love and knowledg; by him that made you his adoptive ſons, and co-heirs with his unigenit; by him that made you members of his body, whereof he was the head; by him that offered himſelf a full and propitiatory ſacrifice on the Croſs, to redeem you from ſervitude, and waſh you from all ſpots and wrinkles; by him, I beſeech you, to give to God in ſtead of dead beaſts, lively ſacrifice; in ſtead of their blood, which was but a ſhadow, and pleaſed not God of it ſelf, the acceptable ſacrifice of the ſpiritual man, framed by faith, to godlineſs and charity.
4. And then we are here further taught, that we ſhall be crowned with Lawrels, and Diademes of eternal happineſs if we fight courageouſly under the banner of Chriſt, againſt our ſpiritual enemies, and never deſiſt until we have obtained the Victory. Chriſt gave not over until all was finiſhed: If God had given over at his ſecond dayes work, we had had no ſin, no ſeaſons; if at the fifth, we had no being; if at the ſixth, no ſabbath, but by proceeding to the ſeventh, we are all, we have all; So Chriſt, if he had ſtayd at his Circumciſion, or his Agony, or his ſcourgings, our redemption had been imperfect, but by continuing to his crowning and his nayling, and the piercing of his ſide on the Croſs, all was completed that was neceſſary for mans ſalvation.2 King. 5.24 Naaman could not be cured of his leproſie, but by waſhing in Jordan ſeven times, leſs could not do it; it is not enough for a man to begin, or do ſome few acts of piety or religion, unleſs he make; a conſtant progreſs therein. Are the Angels weary of looking on that face of God, which they looked upon yeſterday? or are the Saints weary of ſinging of that Allelujah, which they ſung to Gods glory yeſterday? Is not that ſong which is their morning and evening ſacrifice; and which ſhall be their ſong world without end, called ſtill, A new ſong? Oh! then never be weary, never give over performing thy duties to that God that never ceaſeth to bleſs thee; for he (and he only) that continues unto the end, ſhall receive a Crown of life.
In vain did the perfidious Jews cry, if he be King of Iſrael, let him come down from the Croſs, and we will believe in him; Nay, rather, becauſe he was ſo, he would not deſert his place; for by his perſeverance, his intereſt to the Kingdome was confirmed, and the work of redemption was conſummated in ſuch a glorious manner, that nothing could be deficient, to the greatneſs of its merit, or to enduce us to follow ſo noble a preſident; to proceed in thoſe actions, that are pleaſant and ſuitable to our temper is facil, and not praiſe worthy; but to perſevere in laborious Agonies and ſorrows, and in ſuch things as are againſt the dictates of our own natural and carnal affections is indeed difficult, but very laudable. Chriſt was ſo enamoured with his divine Father, and long'd ſo earneſtly for the redemption of man, that all intervening Croſſes ſeemed Cordials to him, and all pains, pleaſures: After his Example we find that Paul enumerating his own ſufferings with thoſe of his Co-Apoſtles breaks thus forth; who is able to ſeparate us from the love of Chriſt?Rom. 8. ſhall tribulation or diſtreſs? ſhall anguiſh, perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſs, or peril, or ſword? As it is written, for thy ſake we are killed, all the day long, we are counted as ſheep for the ſlaughter, Nay; in all theſe things we are more then conquerours, through him that loved us. From theſe holy preſidents we may learn how to maſter our afflictions, and to ſweeten our perſecutions, and to deem them as the embrioes of eternal life: We may bear them with all ſpiritual joy, if we look not on them, but on him, that impoſed them on us, who without doubt was the Father Almighty, without whoſe Providence, not a hair can fall from our heads, and therefore let us with Moſes eſteem his rebukes greater riches then the treaſures of Egypt, Heb. ii. 26.having reſpect unto the recompence of the reward.
1. ANd now, (O Saviour of the world!) how great a compaſs wentſt thou in this act of our redemption, before thou didſt bring it to this happy Period, from thy ſwathing to thy ſhrowding, from thy cold lying in a manger, to thy cold dying upon the Croſs, what didſt thou do and ſuffer? Nay, what didſt thou not do and ſuffer for us.
The work of our Creation was great, but this far greater. That was done with a Fiat, with the breath of thy mouth, thou ſpeakeſt the Word and all was done; here was a miraculous conjunction of God and man in one perſon, maid and mother in another, when it was but begun, thy omnipotencie indeed appeared in the firſt, but thy mercy and juſtice in the latter; ſuch a work didſt thou finiſh here, that neither Man, nor Angels, or thy deity alone could well accompliſh.
Oh! Thou that didſt ſo much for us, teach us to do ſomewhat for thee. Thou that madeſt thy ſelf a perfect victime for our ſins, grant that we may ſacrifice our ſins, and mortifie all carnal concupiſcences, that ſo our ſouls and bodies may be offerings of a ſweet ſmelling Saviour in thy Noſtrils.
Thou that didſt conquer the Prince of this world, and all the enemies upon the Croſs, aſſiſt us againſt the conflicts and temptations of our ſpiritual adverſaries; ſave us from the roaring Lyon, that he may never prevail; O thou, that art the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
But becauſe we are ignorant of our ſelves, what to do aright,1 Cor. 12.6. we pray thee guide us with thy Spirit; thou,Iſa. 28.21. who workeſt all in all, work thy work in us, and bring to paſs thy act, thy ſtrange act, whatever it be.
Let us perform what thou requireſt of us, and that is, let us do juſtly, ſhew mercy, and walk humbly with thee,Mic. 6.8. and walk humbly with thee, our God.
Preſerve thy Church, that iſſued from thy ſide on thy Croſs; thou art her husband, (O Chriſt) ſave thy ſpouſe, thou art her head, ſave thy body; protect her, as thine from infidels, hereticks and ſchiſmaticks; from bad men and Devils, from all errours and dangers.
Make her (unto thy ſelf) glorious, without ſpot or wrinkle; holy and without ſin;Epheſ. 5.7. And though (like thee) ſhee ſorrows and ſuffers often, while militant here; yet make her triumphant (with thee) in the world to come.
Let every member of her, profeſs thy name to the end with courage, and conſtancy, after thy glorious Examples: let us not be carried away from our duties to thee, with the vanities of the world, or the enticements of the fleſh, or the ſuggeſtions of Satan.
O thou that art immutable, without ſhadow of change Yeſterday, to day and the ſame for ever; fix our fickle thoughts on thy fear, and eſtabliſh thy holy Spirit within us, that we may alwayes praiſe thee, who never ceaſeſt to bleſs us.
By the grace and merits of him, who finiſhed the grand works of eternal redemption for us, living and dying, to ſave us, Lord, make us live and dye thy ſervants, that we may be partakers of that happineſs, which by his blood he hath purchaſed for us, in the Kingdome of Bliſs. Amen.